tous ces trucs/all this stuff

 I hope to present information here to #1 document and organize the historical stuff I do and #2 have well researched shortcuts for other people in the future.

I have all this stuff and I carry it for a reason so here it is, here’s all my stuff. 

This supplemental information is based on documentation in the form of Bourlamaque’s summer equipment list

Archives de Rochefort. Série 1E. Archives des Colonies. Série C11A.

National Archives of Canada. MG-18. K-9. Papiers.

Bourlamaque. Volume 6

Service Historique de l’Armée de terre. A1. 3417. No 144 Canada 1756.

2 skeins thread

6 needles

1 awl

1 fire steel

6 gunflints

1 boucheron knife

1 comb

1 worm

1 tomahawk

And these are all my “extras” to make it all comfortable and work out.

         A leather “slit pouch” to carry things in. The comb goes in the slit pouch by itself with no problem. 

         I use a scrap of cloth to carry my neadles and threads otherwise I’d poke myself in the hand or they poke out of the pouch, a cork on the end of the awl- not necessarily essential but also helps with not poking myself, perhaps I’ll try to do without it, it adds a bit of bulk but no weight. 

       I bring a spring vise in a leather pouch which is also an extra but it is lightweight and I have had a mainspring slip and desperately needed a spring vise at a reenactment, I carry a small gourd with rendered bear grease which is essential for cleaning and lubricating my fusil, I carry a small tin cup with a spout to pour boiling water down the barrel. It is very convenient- I doubt that a New France milicean or hunter would have had a tin cup with a spout and may try to do without it. The six flints I carry in a very small linen bag the dimensions of one as seen in The Packet series, as well as a wire gun worm, I keep in a small linen bag with linen tow for cleaning. I’ve never used tow for loading the fusil but plan to experiment in the future.  I have no idea if they were ever issued tow, if they were why not mention it? 

            There is some evidence to suggest that they were issued various items (most probably tobacco at least) in small linen bags though. but just powder and lead was only what was issued, we’re they expected to bring their own wadding to load the guns with? If so why not mention it?

            My soapstone calumet  or pipe, home made by this habituant and tabac is contained in a whole skin pipe bag that is a fisher skin, this is also where I keep a tin with char cloth and “tondre” or tinder fungus, a burning lens with a small leather sleeve and some small roiled pieces of linen tow with  my fire steel.

I do not know but doubt that the Boucheron knife and tomahawk came with sheiths, I assume it would have been mentioned in the list but that is just an assumption. I am not willing to take the risk of cutting myself because I’m just playing pretend so, better safe than sorry. The knife sheath is a a backseam which everyone tells me is the most historically accurate style. I attached some linen tape through some holes on the back edge so it won’t slip out of my sash. The ax sheath is functional again not historical but safe?

        The form of the comb, firesteel, awl, flints, needles and thread came from Steve Delisle’s seminal work New France Militia and are corroborated in the archeological and pictorial record. 

Steve Delisle.  The equipment of New France Militia 1740-1760. Bel-Air MD.:Kebecca Liber Ata Company, 1999